


coming down with something

by mycanonnevercame



Series: made for each other [2]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Elektra isn’t dead because i say so, F/M, Fix-It, Foggy ships it too, Matt is so freaking nosy like damn, Post-Canon, i don’t make the rules, listen....., the latest battle in my ongoing war against canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23669956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mycanonnevercame/pseuds/mycanonnevercame
Summary: Karen gets an unexpected — but not unwelcome — phone call.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Karen Page
Series: made for each other [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704328
Comments: 20
Kudos: 92





	coming down with something

She almost doesn’t hear her phone ringing.

Not that it ever actually rings. Karen, like any self-respecting millennial, has her phone set to vibrate only. She’s sure she has a ringtone, but she couldn’t tell you what it is and wouldn’t recognize it as her own if she heard it.

By the time the buzzing drags her out of the research-induced haze she’s in over her current case, she has to dive for it to keep it from clicking over to voicemail. She glances briefly at the number, and is unsurprised when she doesn’t recognize it. Between her freelance work for the Bulletin, and her role as investigator at NM&P, she gets calls from strange numbers all the time.

“Karen Page,” she snaps briskly, her other hand trying to unearth her notebook from the pile of papers on her desk. There’s a long pause on the other end, and she can hear ambient noise — people, the metallic crackle of a loudspeaker, engine noise. She opens her mouth to ask if anyone is there, but she doesn’t get the chance.

“Hey,” says an achingly familiar voice, and all the breath leaves her lungs.

She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t know what to say. She’s been bracing herself to spend the next six months — or more — wondering when she would hear from Frank again.

“Karen?” He sounds tentative, and tired.

“I’m here,” she manages. He doesn’t respond immediately, but she can imagine him nodding to himself.

There’s a clatter from the office next door to hers and she realizes that Matt is listening to this entire conversation.

“Shit,” she mutters, making a run for the door. She reaches it just as Matt comes to a sliding stop in the hall outside her door.

“Karen, why is—“ he starts, and she shuts the door in his face.

“Go away,” she calls, leaning back against the door.

“Something wrong?” Frank asks, and she laughs.

“No,” she says. “Nothing is wrong. Are you okay?”

Frank sighs, and she waits. “Maybe,” he finally says. She nods. With her eyes closed, she can almost forget that he’s not right beside her. They’re quiet, and she listens to him breathe over the sounds of what she’s now certain is a bus station. She braces herself for him to tell her he’s on his way out of town.

“Can I see you?” He says, and her eyes fly open as she nearly falls over.

“What?” It comes out harsher than she meant.

“I know I shouldn’t even ask after...” He trails off, and their last conversation filters through the silence. “But... I want to.”

“When?” She asks.

He pauses. “Are you sure?” He asks, and she rolls her eyes.

“Yes,” she says, exasperated. “When?”

She can hear the smile in his voice when he answers. “Tonight?”

“Sure. My place?” She suggests.

“Okay,” he says. “I’ll cook.”

“You can cook?” She’s not sure why she’s so surprised, but he chuckles.

“I’ll see you at seven,” he says.

“See you then,” she says. She presses the phone to her chest for a few moments after he hangs up, savoring the hope that’s wrapped itself around her heart.

A knock on the door pulls her back to the present, and she sighs, opening the door to find Matt and Foggy both standing in the hall. Matt looks perturbed, and Foggy simply confused, so she’s guessing Matt hasn’t filled him in. Probably too busy eavesdropping.

“Can I help you?” Karen asks them calmly.

“What’s going on?” Foggy says.

“She’s having dinner with Frank Castle,” Matt says, and Foggy’s eyebrows shoot up, but he doesn’t protest.

“My dinner plans are none of your concern,” she says, still calm but with a bit of an edge in her voice.

“He _kills_ people!” Matt bursts out, and Karen rolls her eyes.

“So does your girlfriend, and I don’t see that stopping you from dating her,” she snaps. Foggy is watching them like a tennis match, looking concerned but like he also doesn’t want to jump in the middle of this particular argument.

“I thought you like Elektra,” Matt says, sounding hurt.

“I do like her,” Karen says. “I like Frank, too.”

“But—“

“Maybe we should let Karen make her own decisions,” Foggy says gently, trying to herd Matt back to his own office. “You know, since she’s an adult and all.” The look he throws Karen says they’ll definitely be talking about this later, but she thinks it’ll be a much easier conversation without Matt standing between them.

“You could get hur—“

“Frank would _never_ hurt me,” she says, not even letting Matt finish his sentence.

“Gonna have to agree with her on that one,” Foggy says, pulling a little harder on Matt. She’s kept Foggy in the loop on her ongoing adventures with Frank, and though she’s never outright told him how she feels, she’s pretty sure he knows.

“I know you make your own hours,” Foggy adds over his shoulder. “But you should leave early today. Take some time for yourself. And uh, don’t feel like you need to be here on time tomorrow either.” He winks and grins at her growing blush as he shoves Matt into his office, closing the door behind them.

Bless Foggy. She makes a mental note to bring him some chocolate croissants on her way into the office tomorrow. Or maybe the day after — tomorrow is looking like a sick day.

She’s definitely coming down with something.

**Author's Note:**

> Still no kissing, damn, guess I gotta keep writing these little fics...


End file.
